


Restless (a FNaF x Reader)

by SleepingWriter



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: AFAB!reader, Altered Mental States, Angst, Anterograde Amnesia, Borderline Personality Disorder, Cliffhangers, Detectives, Extremely-Heavy Angst, F/F, F/M, Fem!Protagonist - Freeform, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Anorexia, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Sex, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied/Referenced Torture, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Karen - Get the Tissues, M/M, Mature!Reader, Mental Anguish, Mental Breakdown, Mental Disintegration, Mental Health Issues, Mental Illness, Mental Instability, Mental Institutions, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Private Investigators, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Small fluff, fem!reader - Freeform, read the tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-01-30 07:54:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 17,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21424792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepingWriter/pseuds/SleepingWriter
Summary: (Y/N) (L/N) is a prodigy private investigator for the Alliance Private Investigation Corporation [APIC] in Hurricane, Utah.She’s given a vague case by an unknown client - three night guards at the local children’s pizzeria have gone missing without a trace.Details are few and the suspects are many.What will she find in her search, but more importantly - what is the truth?This story does not follow the same storyline as the Silver Eyes series, although some characters will make an appearance in this book.Five Nights at Freddy’s was created by Scott Cawthon.
Relationships: (One-Sided) Michael Afton/Reader, Bonnie the Bunny/Reader, Chica the Chicken/Reader, Foxy the Pirate Fox/Reader, Freddy Fazbear/Reader, Funtime Foxy/Reader, Funtime Freddy/Reader, Golden Freddy/Reader, Henry Emily/Dorothy Emily, Mangle/reader, Shadow Bonnie/Reader, Shadow Freddy/Reader, The Puppet/Reader, Toy Bonnie/Reader, Toy Chica/reader, Toy Foxy/Reader, Toy Freddy/reader, marionette/reader
Comments: 27
Kudos: 189





	1. O N E

The intern rapped his hands against the firmly-polished mahogany door. His hands combed through his swooped blonde hair as he heard a soft voice say, “Come in.”

He opened the door, wincing at the slight squeak the hinges gave. His stance relaxed as he saw the woman give him a kind smile. “What can I help you with, Phillip?”

“Well, Ms. (Last Name), we have another case we need you to work on,” He stated firmly.

“Okay, show me what’ cha got,” She chided. Her bright (e/c) eyes dimed as a thin case file was slammed on the desk. She lifted one of the folds only to find a maximum of three pages hidden underneath. She sat straight up as she looked at the intern.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, Phillip.” The blonde man straightened his stature as he looked at the woman. Her demeanor had turned cold, her expression turned sour. He was completely knowledgeable of her slight no-shit attitude.

She just sighed as Phillip stayed there, more frozen than Antarctica in winter. She was completely done with being undermined in this department. She had skills, but they had always set her up to fail. _'I am a prodigy, damn it!'_

She looked up at the boy and groaned. “What’s the mission?”

He straightened. “You’ll be a night watchman at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. You need to find out why all these nightguards are disappearing.” His voice became strained as he looked at her. Her face was pale and her body stiffened. Everyone had heard about the rumors around that place. It was enough to make the prodigy detective shrink in her seat.

“You. Want me. To go there. With no backup?” At this point, she had gotten out of her chair and had backed him into the wall. He shakily nodded his head.

“U-Unless you don’t want to.” He stuttered. She just sighed and shook her head.

“Don't’ worry about it. I’ll handle this.” She walked over to the coat-rack next to the door. She grabbed her coat and hat and put her hand on the doorknob. Pausing, she turned back to look at the intern, one hand on the knob, the other gripping tightly to the file.

“Make sure they know I’m doing this. **Alone.**” The intern winced as the door slammed shut.

* * *

You shivered as you walked back to your apartment, your coat tightly wrapped around you. Your mood turned even more sour than before, as you had forgotten your knitted hat at home. The hat you were wearing was only for fashion-sake.

You looked in a frozen puddle on the ground.

“I even look like a detective! Why can’t they see that?” You stomped, making the puddle shatter into a mixture of beautiful shards. You could see multiple of you as your face burned in anger. You started to speedwalk home. You looked down at the case file. _'I wonder what’s in this thing?'_

You walked into the lobby, being looked at by strangers and neighbors as you walked into the elevator. You didn’t blame them, though. You looked like a wet cat. You pressed the button for your floor, but then noticed a tall, older man standing next to you.

He had scruffy brown hair and some stubble growing on his face. He stood a little too close for comfort to you, despite there being ample room in the elevator.

“What floor are you going to?” You asked politely.

“Number 23,” He responded. You pressed the corresponding button and then moved slightly away from him. He chuckled, seemingly noticing your discomfort but doing nothing to erase the tension. Instead, he decided to engage in a bit of small talk.

“My name is David Miller. How about you ma'am?” He asked politely. You smiled uncomfortably.

“My name is (Your Name) (Last Name). Are you new here? I’ve never seen you around.” You asked.

“I am indeed new here, ma'am. Just moved here from the next town over.” He adjusted his sleeve cuffs absentmindedly.

“Oh! What do you do?” You said, your smile becoming a bit more genuine.

“I’m a technician at a pizzeria. You might have heard of it. It’s Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.” You froze. _‘I could be talking to a suspect!’_ You instantly went into detective mode.

“Really? That place is pretty creepy. Don't you think?” He just chuckles.

“It is, but you get used to it. Now, what do you do?” You adjusted your coat as you cleared your throat.

“Well, I got fired from my last job and am looking for another one.” You lied. He just looked at you and gave a slightly creepy smile.

“Well, we do have an open position at the restaurant.” You made a fake excited grin.

“Really! What is it?” You chuckled. “I’m kind of desperate for a job if you didn’t notice.”

“It’s the nightshift. Kind of perfect if you ask me. You get to watch over the robots for a few hours at night and then have the whole rest of the day to yourself. It must be magnificent.”

“Whoa, that sounds perfect. I usually want to spend the day with my friends anyways. That’s actually where I’m going! I’m visiting a friend of mine, Alex. He lives here.” You lied.

Alex was your neighbor and a good friend of yours. He was intelligent but could be slightly wimpy. You slyly smirked to yourself. You honestly didn’t want Dave to know that you lived here.

“Ooo! A boyfriend, perhaps?” Your face turned scarlet as the man chuckled.

“No way! I mean, he’s cute and all, but not my type.” Dave chuckled.

You both were interrupted by a chime, signalizing that it had hit your floor. You turned to Dave and gave him a polite smile.

“Here’s my stop! I’ll see you around!” You stepped out and gave a friendly wave.

“Of course, ma’am.” You turned around and the elevator closed. When he knew you weren’t looking Dave gave a horrific grin.

“Foolish girl.”

* * *

You couldn’t believe you might have gotten a lead suspect already. Dave was creepy and not good at hiding his serial-killer esque personality. You had a feeling he might be behind this whole 'nightguard going missing' situation but weren’t one-hundred percent sure.

But you knew you could get the job easier. Maybe the man could even assist you. You took out your keys, finally recognizing the headache you had from the cold weather. You’d have to take some medicine for that later.

You opened the door and hung up your hat and coat, only to find a furry friend nuzzle your feet. You looked down and smiled.

“Hello, Milo.” You smiled down at your tabby cat. He nuzzled into your leg as you grabbed him and brought him up to your face and smiled.

“Did you miss me?” He meowed in response, jumping from your hands to the top of your head, where he curled up into a ball. You chuckled and walked into the kitchen to get yourself some water. You struggled to reach the glass cups in the cupboard and decided to just go for one of the plastic ones in the drawer. _‘Why do the cupboards have to be made for tall people!’_

You walked over to your cabinet to look around for the ibuprofen, sighing and just closing the cabinet, only to find the ibuprofen on the counter._ ‘Okay, first the cupboards. And now my damn medicine is bouncing around like the Annabelle doll!’_

You popped the child-safety cap off of the container and poured some tablets into your hand, accidentally getting too many. You put all but two back and then swallowed them, instantly washing the dryness down with a cold cup of water.

You walked through the hallway to get to your dainty little bedroom, ignoring the creaks in the floorboards as you observed some of the pictures on the wall that your parents had sent you one lonely weekend. You remember that you still had most of the older photos in the closet, basically just dumping them there until you got the time to sort through them all.

_‘I’ll go through them after this whole Fazbear business is done,’_ you decided to yourself. You walked into your room, covering your ears as your door slammed against the wall. You groaned. You jumped onto your bed, cozying up into the comforter. _‘Yeah, I should probably take a shower.’_

* * *

Your eyes squinted as you opened the call app on your cell phone. Your phone shined as you went to turn down the brightness.

You looked at the number you had to enter. _‘1-888-FAZ-FAZBEAR.’ _You slightly hesitated before you finally pressed the call button. Your heart pounded faster as the phone rang out in your silent, empty apartment. Milo nuzzled into your leg as you sat crisscrossed on the couch. You rubbed your temples as you put a pair of reading glasses on. The frames were black, a staple fashion piece if you had to say so yourself. They gave you an intelligent and cunning look.

You were interrupted from your thoughts by another voice coming out from the other line.

“This is Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. How may I help you?” a sweet older woman asked.

You got out your notepad and pen and started jotting down about this woman. ‘Maybe another suspect.’

“Hi! My name is (Your Name) (Last Name). I’m was looking at the open position that you guys have online. The night shift, I think it was?” You said kindly.

The woman seemed to pause as her voice turned to a whisper. “Are you sure you want to do that, sweet pea? The night shift doesn't seem like a job for such a sweet-sounding young lady.” You internally scoffed at the seemingly sexist remark, but you knew she was just being polite, so you put on your sweetest voice.

“Don’t worry, ma’am. I can handle it!” You heard her sigh.

“Okay, I’ll get you an appointment with my husband.”

‘Oh shit!’ You weren’t just talking to anyone. This was Dorothy Emily, the owner’s wife.

Your voice practically grew three times sweeter. “That would be amazing, ma’am! Thank you so much. “ You could practically picture her frown.

“No problem, dear... How’s tomorrow at 10?” Your grin grew wide.

“Perfect! Thank you again.” You were about to cheer.

_“Goodbye… dear.”_ The line hung up as you dialed down your cheer, your face contorting from happiness and excitement into a look of terror. _‘Why did that sound so… ominous?'_

You brushed it off as you looked down at the kitten sleeping in your lap. You kindly smiled and pet his fur, hearing an almost silent purr come from the content kitten. You then looked up at the tons of papers and notes you had compiled about the case. One, in particular, sparked your interest. It was a fairly old newspaper, but its words spoke volumes about what you could be going up against.

_“_ ** _Kids vanish at local pizzeria – bodies not found. _ ** _Two local children were reportedly lured into a back room during the late hours of operation at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza on the night of June 26th. While video surveillance identified the man responsibly and led to his capture the following morning, the children themselves were never found and are presumed dead. “_

_“Police think that the suspect dressed as a company mascot to earn the children’s trust.”_

** _“Five children now reported missing. Suspect convicted. _ ** _Five children are now linked to the incident at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, where a man dressed as a cartoon mascot lured then into a back room. While the suspect has been charged, the bodies themselves were never found. Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza has been fighting an uphill battle ever since to convince families to return to the pizzeria. ‘It’s a tragedy.’”_

_“**Local pizzeria threatened with shutdown over sanitation. **Local pizzeria, Freddy-Fazbear’s Pizza has been threatened again with shutdown by the health department over reports of a foul odor coming from the much-loved animal mascots._

_Police were contacted when parents reportedly noticed what appeared to be blood and mucus around the eyes and mouths of the mascots. One parent likened them to ‘reanimated carcasses’.”_

_“**Local pizzeria said to close by years end.** After a long struggle to stay in business after the tragedy that took place there many years ago, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza has announced that it will close by year’s end. Despite a year-long search for a buyer, companies seem unwilling to be associated with the company. ‘These characters will live on. In the hearts of kids - these characters will live on.’ -CEO”_

Either the pizzeria never closed, or it had a reopening. But this was suspicious for several reasons. First of all, you had looked through there code and saw that they would clean up to the premise of a crime scene before police got there. That was probably why they put you on the case. ‘They probably put me on the case because of my prodigy skills.’

Okay, okay now. Stop being cocky. You would have to see what all of this was about at your shift. You looked down at the sleeping cat. _‘Tomorrow.’_

You grabbed a soft knitted blue blanket and finally, after a long day of paperwork fell asleep.


	2. T W O

You woke up to a barrage of purring and meows. You groaned as you opened your eyes, looking at your little kitten sitting on the floor. You narrowed your eyes as he stared up at you. He nudged your leg and purred as you sighed. "You're lucky you're cute."

His face seemed to upturn as he walked over to his food bowl, nudging it harshly. You trudged over to the cat food, only to fall over a pile of papers sitting on the floor. You growled as you lifted yourself up, looking at the disarray on the floor. Scattered papers were laid out and if someone would have come in, they would assume it to be a crime scene.

And speaking of the devil, you hear a gentle knock on the door.

"(Your Name)? Are you in there?" A concerned voice called out. You opened the door to find Alex holding a cup of your favorite drink, a latte macchiato with extra whipped cream. You grabbed it from his hands and brushed part of the whipped cream off the top, putting a swipe into your mouth and groaning happily.

Alex obviously started to laugh as you deadpanned at him. He came in and ruffled your hair, but then had to take a step back to see the mess you had made on the floor, scattered newspapers and articles everywhere.

He ran a hand through his hair as he looked down at you, "(Your Name)..."

You both spent another hour fixing up the place and getting ready while talking to Alex.

"You're kidding, right? You're actually doing a case at that damned pizzeria!?" You groaned for the fiftieth time, "It wasn't my case to decide."

"I'm just... gonna be worried about you." You turned around and smiled at him. "Aww, Alex." You kissed him on the forehead. "You're too sweet." He smiled goofily and got up, seeing you get your coat and keys, getting ready to walk out the door. "At least let me escort you."

You chuckled. "What is this? The 1920s?" He smiled and bowed. "Come on, madam. Let chivalry live!" You giggled before turning around with an aura of mock-seriousness. "Chivalry is dead." You both stared at each other but then burst out laughing, quickly shuffling out of the apartment.

You came upon the elevator and you almost gasped as you saw Dave, the same man from yesterday. You gestured to Alex when you got inside the elevator. 'Pretend you live there,' you mouthed. Alex nodded and then held your hand, squeezing it. He had gotten used to suspicious characters just as you had.

"Hello, Ms. (Last Name). Going down?" Dave asked.

"Yes, Mr. Miller. The lobby, please." He pressed the button and the silence was thick enough to cut with a pair of gardening scissors. You decided it was your job to strike up a conversation. "This is Alex, Mr. Miller. The boy who I was talking about."

He turned around and smiled charismatically, shaking Alex's hand. Alex smiled, but the hand holding yours gripped onto you tighter. You squeezed back, giving him a slight sense of comfort.

"So, how do you two know each other?" Dave asked.

"Well, we met at the library. It was kind of funny, she was holding a bunch of books and I was on my phone. We both kind of fell and here we are now. Boyfriend and girlfriend." You almost gasped as you paled. _'What the hell is he doing?'_

"Boyfriend and girlfriend? But you said-" "He asked me out last night at his place. It was so sweet." You retorted, hoping to carry off any suspicion.

"Aww, really. Well, congratulations!" The chime of the elevator rang out, making you sigh. "Well, it was good to see you again, Mr. Miller. Have a nice day!" He smiled at you.

"You as well, Ms. (Your Name)."

After the doors closed you punched Alex in the arm. _"What the hell was that?"_

"I don't know! We do a new shtick every day I had no idea what you told him." You just groaned as you both walked out of the lobby, heading towards your car.

* * *

You walked into the office, scrunching your nose at the musty smell being blown into your face by an obnoxious fan. You sat down in the squeaky chair, almost losing your balance because of the wheels on the chair. You sat back up 'gracefully' as a ring was heard from the phone.  
'Who could be calling at this hour?' Your question was soon answered as you let the phone ring, only for a message to come on afterward.

_ "Uh,?__ Hello, hello? Uh, hello and welcome to your new __at the new and improved Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Uh, I'm here to talk you through some of the things you can expect to see during your first week here and to help you get started down this new and exciting career path."_ The man said. It wasn't Dave, nor Mr. Fazbear whom you talked to earlier. You took out your notepad and wrote down 'Phone Guy'.

_ "Uh, now, I want you to forget anything you may have heard about the old location, you know. Uh, some people still have a somewhat negative impression of the company. Uh... that old restaurant was kind of left to rot for quite a while, but I want to reassure you, Fazbear Entertainment is committed to family fun and above all, safety. They've spent a small on these new animatronics, uh, facial recognition, advanced mobility, they even let them walk around during the day. Isn't that neat? But most importantly, they're all tied into some kind of criminal database, so they can detect a predator a mile away. _ _, we should be paying them to guard you."_

That... that doesn't really help anyone feel better. It sounds like a great idea on paper, but what if there was a way to hack into that? It would put all of that software to waste. You wrote down _'animatronic face recognition'._ The phone call kept babbling on about the logistics of the place, but then the called seemed to take a twist.

_ "...Uh mainly he expressed concern that certain characters seemed to move around at night, and even attempted to get into his office. Now, from what we know, that should be impossible. Uh, that restaurant should be the safest place on earth. So while our engineers don't really have an explanation for this, the working theory is that... the robots were never given a proper _ _. So when it gets quiet, they think they're in the wrong room, so then they go try to find where the people are, and in this case, that's your office. So our temporary solution is this: there's a music box over by the _ _Counter, and it's rigged to be wound up remotely. So just, every once in a while, switch over to the Prize Counter video feed and wind it up for a few seconds. It doesn't seem to affect all of the animatronics, but it does affect... one of them."_

Your face paled as you started to check the monitors, hearing the movement of squeaky metal throughout the restaurant. _'Shit, shit, _**_SHIT_**_.'_

You continued with the same routine. Check the monitor, wind up the music box, and occasionally put the mask on to trick the slutty chicken and blueberry bunny. It finally seemed to die down as you checked your watch. _'5:55 AM'._

* * *

I leaned back into the chair, relaxing with the thought that nothing else would come after me in the last five minutes. While I normally wouldn't lay back on the scruffy foam that was incasing leaking cotton, mostly favoring my flannel sheets at home, the sole comforting pressure seemed to calm me. My mind went elsewhere as I started to relax, waiting for the aforementioned bell my 'boss' told me about to ring.  
  
"Given up yet, nightguard?" I shot up as I listened to the raspy southern voice echoing through what I thought was a dark, empty hallway. My shoulders relaxed as I glared at the unseen figure with an annoyed expression before shifting my gaze to the tablet. I grabbed it, switching to the camera on the front stage. The shadows were sharp as the first break of light peaked in through the glass door.  
  
I could feel the, supposedly man, still standing in the hallway. His eyes burned into my scalp like if it could catch fire it would smell like burnt hair. "It's none of your business, I'm afraid. So why don't you get back to your real job? Killing me, was it?" The sarcasm was blatant in my voice.   
  
I barely flinched as calloused fists slammed on the table, making papers scatter across the floor. The noise was probably loud enough to be heard across the building. I looked up to meet the man's scowering emerald eyes, "You've got some attitude, huh?"  
  
"I'll need one if I have to deal with your stuck up-!" I screeched as a sharp pain entered my head as it was slammed down. Fresh crimson sprayed out from the corner of my head, staining the side of the desk. His fist was curled into my hair, matted with the same blood that was dripping onto the floor. His breath was heavy against my neck as he took a swipe at the metallic liquid trickling down my chin.   
  
My gaze shakily shifted towards his hand as he brought a finger to his lips, taking two in and out with an audible 'pop'. He smirked, giving me a condescending look I hadn't seen in all my years. "You really think you can survive?"  
  
I shivered as my fingers clenched into fists, my breath heavy as I tried to calm down from the adrenaline high. My mind was racing with different decisions. My fingers were trembling with anxiety and my vision was going in and out as I glared at him in anger. Should I stay still? Should I jump him? As soon as I made a move to get up, I slowly dropped back into the chair as my muscles suddenly relaxed, despite the fact that I was sweating profusely and it was getting hard to breathe.  
  
I heard the light echo of his voice, though it sounded like was distantly being whispered through a tunnel as a sharp ringing took up the most of my hearing. I wanted to grab at my head as the pain had begun to get unbearable. Black dots clouded my vision until it was all I could see, the pain soon becoming numb.  
  
Annoyingly, the ringing in my ears soon returned as I groggily look up at the... blob? My vision was hazy as I tried to squint at the figure directly in front of me. My heart was racing as I tried to grab at what had happened before. I felt my heart race as I felt the light touches of the figure. Brushes against my hips and my thighs. I shifted as I tried to move away from it, but it just grabbed onto my shoulder, cooing me back over towards him.  
  
I felt the black dots come back to my vision as the fever-like heat consumed my head. I took a moment to take some deep breaths, closing my eyes and waiting to cool down a bit. I cracked my eyes back open to finally realize it was that dumb blueberry bunny in front of me. My heart started to race as I realized it was his hands brushing against some of the most sensitive parts of my body.  
  
My body worked far faster than my mind as my left fist connected with his jaw. He fell to the ground as I grasped at the side of the chair, trying to ground myself. "How fucking dare you try to manhandle me," I mumbled, trying to catch my breath.  
  
He chuckled as he sat up from the floor as I finally noticed how far away from the desk I am, the back of the chair almost touching the wall. I felt a dull pain in my back as my chair was slammed against the wall by the humanimatronic bunny. I felt his hand cup my cheek and I shakily brought my own up to grab at his wrist, but I was as if my grip was as light as a feather.  
  
"Your a pretty lookin' thing, but you won't fool me toots. We all know what you nightguards want, and you ain't gettin' it." My eyebrow arches as I look up at him in confusion. "What the hell do you mean?" I ask, my voice croaky and light. He just shrugs, looking at me with what I could only describe as a knowing look.  
  
"You know, for that tough persona of yours, your pretty weak, hun." I growled, glaring at him as his hand on my cheek shifted to him roughly grabbing both of my shoulders. His grip was gonna leave a bruise, and I wouldn't be surprised if he broke skin.  
  
My vision fully came into full effect. I grabbed onto his wrists, kicking him into the chest and watched as he barreled into the ground. I stood up, making sure to grind my foot into his stomach before giving his leg another good kick. I kneeled down, grabbing his tie harshly to the point where a normal person would have choked.  
  
"Call me weak one more time, hun~" His slightly pale and sweaty face shifted into a lustful smirk. "Ooo, feisty. I like that." I kneed him in the stomach, dropping him to the ground as I walked off. I could hear the faint chime of the 6 AM bell, even though I would've thought it would've long passed. I can feel his eyes attached to my form as the clacking of my heels hit the tile as I grab my coat and walk down to the hallway.  
  
I adjust my hair and my uniform before scurrying out the door, enjoying the light peeking over the horizon with open arms. The cold autumn air ran through my nostrils as I jumped in the car. I open the mirror and took a gaze at my face. The wound on my forehead started to stop oozing with blood. It started to clot near the wound as I wiped the access off. I opened up the dash, grabbing the very large emergency kit and opening it up. I grabbed the bottle of hydrogen peroxide, some cotton pads, and a large bandage.  
  
I wrapped the wound up, hissing as I applied the hydrogen peroxide to the wound. My focus shifted as I looked down at my buzzing phone, the flashing ringtone bringing my ears to life. I immediately recognized it, after all, he made me make his ringtone different.   
"Hey, (Y/N)! How did the night shift go?" I tiredly look down as I twiddle my fingers.   
  
"Can we talk about it in person. Like maybe at..." I trail off tiredly, my vision fading slightly. "Central Espresso? Like always."  
  
I chuckle. "You know me best, Alex."


	3. I N T E R M I S S I O N  O N E

** Good morning, afternoon, night, or whatever time you're in! **

My name is Anna Bloomfield, or better known as SleepingArtist. Now you might be asking me, why write this instead of an official chapter?

Well, this author has been thinking, 'What would differentiate this book from the rest?' Then a thought struck me. 

_'What if I give the readers a peek into the past and future?' _So, intermissions will be just that. Flashbacks and flashforwards. But the thing is, you will have no idea when this will happen. This could happen next chapter, or in fifteen chapters. **W͓͇͋͗̂̊͢ͅh̘̄̕͢o͖̣̲̍̓͌ ̮̦͛̏k̠̅n̈́͢o̟͈̫̤̿̌̃̄w̛̛̳̩͔̥̏s?̳͖̞̲͉̈̽̊̈͞**

They'll be very vague, not really detailing the _'who' _or_ 'where'_. So without further ado, let's get to your first intermission.

_He grabbed onto her hand, the softness reminding him of something from long ago. Flashes of a woman appeared in his head. Her bright amber eyes and soft silky caramel hair was an image than burned into his mind. He looked up at the girl. She shined with an aura of curiosity and seriousness, but there was something else. Something beneath all of the harmony that encased into her expression. A look of concern. It shook him to his very core. He had never received any kind of concern before. At least... not it a long time._

_This girl was nothing close to his mother, he thought to himself. She didn't have her gentle smile or the smell of lavender perfume that made his nose itch. She had none of the grace, none of the womanly charm what-so-ever. However, he still found comfort in her slight frown. It was pretty cute, he had to admit. Sure she was nothing like his mother, but he'll have to take it for now._

_ She smiled as her pigtails swished around her face. Her velvety green dress seemed to poof around her waist and she giggled as her mother compared her to a ballerina. She inhaled the fresh aroma of vanilla frosting cupcakes. They were wrapped in a baby blue lining, white bows tied around the top. She was excited for all her friends to come over and celebrate her special day. She heard the latch to the door unlock and turned around, expecting anyone. 'Isabell... Rudy?' Her face flushed at the prospect of two of her closest friends. But she didn't understand who was at the door. _

_ A smiling man clad with bright magenta clothing walked through the gate. Children such as herself held no fear, so she walked up the man. He smiled down at her. Why didn't she realize how in danger she was. She would definitely regret this later, but she would never realize it, not for many years. He smiled down at her, but she didn't recognize the malice in his voice.  _

_ He bent down and stroked her arm, caressing it gently to calm any nerves she might have. "Hello, my dear. I heard it was your special day!" _

_ Her guard instantly went down as she ran and hugged him. Why would she hug him? The man whose hands were stained crimson only a few moments ago. _


	4. T H R E E

“So you’re saying that the animatronics come to life and try to stuff you into a suit?” I rubbed my temples, trying to ease my migraine while still being active in the conversation.   
  
“Yes, Alex. That’s what happened.” I looked back up at him. His eyes squinted, trying to read my expression. It was an almost comedic expression.  
  
“What, don’t believe me?” I teased. He sat back in his seat, taking a sip of his Iced Coffee as he crossed his arms. “No, no. I believe you.”  
  
I rolled my eyes at his obvious skepticism. A young boy walks over to your table.   
  
“Hello, ma’am. Sir. Would you two like a paper for fifty cents?” I smile tiredly at the boy and shuffle my hand into my pocket, grabbing out fifty cents and putting it into the palm of his hand. His eyes brightened as his smile grew wider. It was obvious that not a lot of people bought the newspaper around this street, especially around this time. He hands me the large folded paper, before continuing onto the next booth. I looked down at the paper, gasping as I saw the headline.  
  
“Alex, Alex, look!” I pointed to the title. ‘Young Prodigy Solves Cold-Case’. In the description, it details the story of how I tirelessly caught the murderer of 35-year-old Charlette Browning. It even had my picture! Finally, some credit.   
“That’s great, (Y/N).” I finally put down the paper, disinterested in any other article as I looked up at Alex. He set the coffee down, taking in a deep breath. “But-”  
  
He started on a rant, a pretty bad habit of his if I do say so myself. My mind started to drift elsewhere. My eyes shifted to the bright luminescence of the tin lights above some of the diners, their light chatter wafting through the air, giving off a homey, relaxing feeling.  
  
I sighed at the smell of greasy bacon, and waffles being coated with copious amounts of smooth butter. Some old classics were playing on the speakers of the dusty jukebox as children would go up to request the funniest named song with a quarter. I could hear the squeak of the washroom doors as patrons walked in and out, along with the light shuffling of water as the janitor cleaned the floors. It seemed like these things came with homestyle places like this.  
  
My eyes widened as my formerly hazy glances towards the entrance came upon the figure of Dave Miller walking in, most likely for his morning breakfast. Without thinking, I grab my menu and cover it up over the bottom half of my face, grabbing Alex’s attention.  
  
‘Snap, snap’. My eyes shift back towards Alex as his finger snap right in from of my face. I groan and push his hand away, setting the menu down in the process. I tried to explain to Alex what was going on until I feel a hand on my shoulder.  
“Hello, Ms. (Last Name). How was your shift?” It was Mr. Miller. Sneaky as always.  
  
“It was fine. Pretty boring though.” I responded as tiredly as I could muster. Although my veins were racing with adrenaline, as it seemed as though I was talking with my main suspect. After all, if he knew what the job truly entailed, why would he offer it to me in the first place. His eyes in that elevator held a truly malicious intent. Something no movie, nor television series could replicate.  
  
"Boring you say. Hmm. If it was so boring, then please do let me know why you have that bandage on your head. Something serious must've happened. I have to say, I quite concerned, my dear." I suddenly remembered the gauze taped blatantly to the corner of my forehead. His concern was easily brushed off by Alex, who seemed to already have a story in mind.   
  
"Well, after we left the elevator, we walked to (Your Name)'s car. It was slippery from raining and she fell, and took a nasty hit while she was at it." Alex explained. I turned back to him, mouthing a quiet 'thank you'. He seemed to understand, nodding his head towards Miller as he began to clear his throat.   
  
"I was worried for a moment there. After all, there have been so many horrible incidents at the pizzeria. I thought something else might've happened. It's why we even bother to hire a nightguard at all." This intrigued me.   
  
"Incidents? Like what?" Of course, I knew what he was probably referring to. The many incidents of children getting slaughtered at that Chuck E' Cheese pizzeria rip-off chain. Or perhaps he was referring to when the front half of a child's head was bitten off. I can't forget that, even though I wish I could get the imagery out of my head.  
  
He gestured to the place beside me, "May I take a seat? This may take a while." For a split second, I grimaced, before putting on a concerning smile and shifting over, patting the seat next to me.  
  
"Well-" he started, "Many years ago, back in about 76', there was an incident involving five kids. They were lured by an employee in a Fazbear costume into the 'Employees Only' room and murdered. The killer was pretty clever, and got away with not a trace of blood behind him and no video evidence.'   
  
The next thing he thought of seemed to make him scoff, but the look of amusement in his eyes caught my attention. "Some rumors went around that those kids were stuffed into the robots' suits, but that just ain't true. There are four suits, so that myth was immediately debunked."  
  
"It was probably inspired by a random incident that happened involving a young patron and a random thug outside of the older pizzeria. Some young kid was killed by said thug, and they thought it was some employee, which is just ludicrous."  
He sighed, "It costs Mr. Emily a lot of money to keep the business going after that. Especially after, the Bite of 83'."  
  
I titled my head in mock-confusion. "Please, Mr. Miller. Do continue - I mean, if you're comfortable with it." He just chuckled a bit, relaxing back into his seat.   
  
"No, no, it's fine, my dear. There was a child who was being bullied by some of the other kids, who stuffed him into an animatronic's mouth while it was still performing. A malfunction occurred due to the blocked pathway and the circuits were busted by the kid's head, making the old animatronic bite down on his frontal lobe. Poor kid's gone now, and due to a chance malfunction at that."  
  
He rubbed the back of his neck, "The police tried to connect these three incidents, but it seemed like a lost cause. There was no video, blood, or witness evidence to prove their statements." He checked his watch.  
  
"Oh, look at the time. I have to get breakfast before heading to work. I'll see you around, dear! And have a fun date." I almost grumbled at the date part as Miller got up, taking an empty spot at the counter. I turned back towards Alex.  
"Did you get all that?" He smirked.   
  
"No, I got something even better." He pulled his hands out from under the table to reveal... his cell phone. He was recording the entire conversation.  
  
"This way, if someone tells us a contradicting story, we have our proof." I smiled at him, grabbing his hand and squeezing it to let loose all the built-up pressure that had been unknowingly building in my form. I turned back to look at Miller. He was just drinking some coffee and reading the paper like he was in no rush at all. Jeez, if this guy could be any less suspicious.   
  
I look back at Alex with a dark look. "Did you hear all the contradicting statements he **already **said." He gave me a confused look. I just sighed, slightly leaning over to whisper-talk to him. "It's the stories he told. Part of them was. Absolute. **Bullshit**."   
  
"What do you mean?" He asked.  
  
"Well-" I started. "First of all, the five children **could've **been stuffed. After all, along with the other four animatronics, there are many costumes in the backrooms. I saw them on the cameras. Second, that one kid with the frontal lobe incident was injured and is paralyzed, he didn't die." Alex's expression became serious and stern.  
  
"How the hell could someone mix up details like that?!" He whisper-yelled.  
  
"Exactly. He's definitely my main suspect. I mean, do you see how he acts?"  
  
"Yeah, and how touchy he is. Also, _my dear_?"  
  
"Yeah, kind of creepy." We both shivered in our seats. My gaze was glancing back and forth between the two of them. I jump as Alex places a hand on mine, looking at me with a curious expression. "Want to go scope out the pizzeria later?" I just nodded my head in response.   
  
The rest of the meal was quiet, just taking small glances at Miller before we both got up to leave, going our separate ways.

* * *

We both arrived at the pizzeria at noon, finally deciding on a good cover story for why two grown adults were in a childrens' place without children. 'Don't get me wrong, I probably would go without a child just for the fun, but I'm also constantly reminded this is a murder case.' Anyways, the cover story we decided on was two adults just looking for a nostalgia trip. Also, I had to go along with the boyfriend-girlfriend thing, especially if Miller spotted us at the restaurant.   
  
We both enter through the glass doors, the room wafting with the stench of greasy pizza and breadsticks. Which we would have to indulge in. To keep an observation over health and safety, of course! Not because our stomach growled like that of a prepubescent at the sight of a pepperoni pizza being served to a party of four.   
  
The nice woman at the counter sits us both down at one of the booths. I take a glance at what she's wearing, and I almost had a mental break down at what these girls had to wear. I swear you could almost see those girls' panties. My face flushed as I looked back up to the girl's face, ordering a pepperoni slice and coke. Alex seemed to be in the same dilemma but decided to order the same thing.  
  
We both sat in complete silence as I just looked down and twiddled my fingers. The light tune of the band starting to play caught our attention as we looked towards the animatronics on stage, and there he was. In all his glory. The stupid Rodger Rabbit rip-off playing his stupid red-colored guitar. I swear if I had seen my face at that moment, it would've probably been mistaken for that damn thing's instrument.  
  
"Hey, (N/N). You're a little red there." Alex snapped me out of my thoughts and I grabbed a napkin, dabbing it on my face as if it would soak up the color. I broke out of my senseless motions as a finger taps on my shoulder. I prepare for the worst, expecting to see Miller right behind me, but instead, it's a younger-looking man.   
  
He's of average height and build, probably no taller than 5'8. He had silky brown hair and light brown eyes and was fairly pale. He was wearing casual clothing and appeared to be around my age. I scanned him with a look of slight curiosity.  
  
"Can I help you, Mr?" I asked.  
  
"You can call me Mike. Mike Schmidt. I was a former nightguard." I perked up in pleasant surprise, slightly thankful to hear that one of the guards didn't go missing. His hand reached out towards mine and I took it, shaking it firmly.  
  
"I'm (Your Name) (Last Name). The new nightguard." He looked at me with an emotion I can only attribute as sorrow. He pointed towards the seat next to me, "Mind if I sit?" I shuffled over, patting the seat next to me as I looked over towards Alex now, him giving me a deadpan look.  
  
I slightly giggle. "Oh, goodness me! I apologize. Mike, this is my_ boyfriend_, Alex." Mike and he shook hands as I practically choked at the fact I called Alex my boyfriend. Ew.   
  
"-Anyways." Mike interrupted my very _serious _thoughts. "I wanted to discuss the job. More or so, the details they didn't go over." He seemed to take my silence as a catalyst for him to continue.  
  
"The animatronics, they aren't safe. Not after those incidents." I rolled my eyes as I yawned, my elbow going to meet the table, "I'm well aware of that. _Especially _after last night." I shuddered.  
  
"Well then your not gonna like this." I eyeballed him.  
  
"The kids - oh jeez, how am I gonna say this without sounding crazy? ... the kids are - they're _haunting_ the suits." I look up at him with skepticism.   
  
"Haunting the suits? You're saying these kids stayed around for more than a _decade_, just to get like - I don't know - some kind of revenge?" He seemed to laugh a bit, almost hysterically so.   
  
"Yeah - I mean, kind of. I wouldn't blame you for calling me crazy, but if you've seen them move it's gotta make some ounce of sense. I mean, they move in a way your name-brand animatronics can't." I bristled my shoulders, trying to brush off the creeping amount of sense this was making. My mind flashed back to Toy Bonnie. That bunny had just - turned into a human? Now that was what didn't make a lick of sense.  
  
My thoughts seemed to roll back off my shoulders as he continued, "Those poor kids were stuffed into those suits. The police got the video footage of the crime and even found traces of blood and DNA at the scene, but I guess the guy just had enough money for bail and good lawyers. And he must've had some damn good ones to get out of something like murder. The police even refused to show the video to anyone."  
  
I perked up, turning back to him. "Have there been any other incidents at the restaurant?"  
  
"Yeah, didn'tcha hear? Some kid got his frontal lobe bitten off. The technicians said that the animatronics jaw pressure was set abnormally high, giving it the strength to do that. Apparently, it's extremely difficult to crack a head up, you know?" That did make a lot of sense.   
  
"Hey, Mike. Do you - I don't know - suspect anyone?"   
  
"I have a few people in mind, but it's just based on behavior. Otherwise, I have no evidence to go off of." He turned towards me, "Just promise me you'll be careful. The animatronics could seriously hurt you. I've already heard numerous horror stories of employees getting stuffed on the last night, so - please don't let that be you." I grabbed onto his hand, squeezing it to give him a slight sense of comfort.  
  
"Don't worry. I'll be safe." He smiled slightly before his eyes shifted to the clock at the corner of the restaurant. "Anyways, I have to go. Break time is over for me." He gave my hand one more squeeze before walking away.   
  
I turned back to Alex, smirking. "Two more pieces of conflicting evidence." He smiles back, and the timing seems perfect as our pizza and drinks finally arrive. I take a moment to savor the juiciness of the pizza, before taking a big bite.   
  
"Eek!" I lightly yelp as a hand roughly grabs my shoulder, it's grip tight and painful. Like at any moment it would crack the bone underneath the skin. I could that the hand burrowing into my skin was covered with a satin glove, and I look up to see a familiar, condescending smirk.  
  
"Heya, toots. Did ya' miss me?~" **God damn it. **It was Rip-Off Rodger Rabbit.


	5. F O U R

You verbally groaned as your face planted onto the hard, plastic table. Alex's eyes widened and reached out to lift up your head as Toy Bonnie only started to laugh.  
  
"What's wrong, sweet cheeks? Not happy to see me?" You tilted your head up, boring your eyes into his own.  
  
"Not after you pummeled my face in."   
  
Alex screamed, "Pummeled your-!" You cupped your hand over his mouth to quiet him. You gestured your head to the other patrons in the restaurant, who were looking at the situation in slight-interest. They went back to their meals, and you focused your attention back on both of the boys in front of you.   
  
Toy Bonnie chuckled, "Mind if I join ya, tootsie?" He sneered condescendingly.   
  
"Actually, yes. I do mind." You sat your body at the edge of the booth, crossing your arms and tilting your head up high. His head shifted down to level with your, his hand resting under your chin to bring it into his view. "Too bad, doll."  
  
He pushed you out of the way, your back slamming into the wall as he leaned into your neck. "You're smart enough not to return tonight, right?" He whispered into your ear. Alex practically looked like he was choking on air as his face turned bright red. Your cheeks slightly flushed as you moved to push him off.   
  
"Sorry, bun-bun. I've got bills to pay." This was of course, fake. You were paid an inadequate amount for your field, but enough to pay for your small apartment and food. You always wondered what they were doing with that extra money, but for now, that was none of your concern. Your concern now was getting Bugs Bunny away from you.  
  
"Well that's too bad ~ don't want to spoil your surprise so soon." His voice was cold and malicious. His tone was mocking you, and your nose scrunched as you grabbed his shirt collar, bring his eyes to meet your own. "How about you get lost, jackrabbit."  
  
He lifted his hands up in defeat, chuckling. "Okay, okay. I can see I'm not wanted here. Your loss."

He scooted out of the way, giving a wink and a cocky smirk. "It was lovely seeing you, darlin! Hope tonight isn't too hard for ya."

You sigh, turning over to Alex. His face was just dumbfounded. "I-I'm confused."  
  
"God damn it, Alex."

* * *

  
You sat on the couch, snuggling with Milo and resting a computer on your lap. You were exploring the web for extra information on Freddy Fazbear's. Apparently it was a small piece of a huge company, **Fazbear Entertainment**. Other incidents had occurred at other restaurants, but that wasn't exactly what you were curious about. After all, you kind of figured that would be the case.   
  
No, no. What you were interested in were the training tapes from an older restaurant. They were very intriguing. It seemed someone was able to get their hands on a copy of these older tapes. For some reason, they found the need to upload them online to a web forum for the morbid and macabre. Not that it necessarily mattered, but you did find the fact that **official **training tapes were apparently enough to convince someone that it was worthy of being discussed on a public forum interesting. A bit concerning, too.  
  
You turned the volume up to hear whatever creepy audio was going to play, maybe a scream or two. But that didn't happen. Instead, you were greeted with a younger sounding version of the man you currently dubbed "Phone Guy". _Yes, I know. Very creative. _This also raised suspicion within you, because that would mean he had been associated with the company for some time.   
  
**_"Uʜ, ʜᴇʟʟᴏ? Hᴇʟʟᴏ ʜᴇʟʟᴏ? Uʜ ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɴᴇᴡ ᴄᴀʀᴇᴇʀ ᴀs ᴀ ᴘᴇʀғᴏʀᴍᴇʀ sʟᴀsʜ ᴇɴᴛᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴᴇʀ ғᴏʀ Fʀᴇᴅᴅʏ Fᴀᴢʙᴇᴀʀ's Pɪᴢᴢᴀ. Uʜ, ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ᴛᴀᴘᴇs ᴡɪʟʟ ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ɪɴғᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏɴ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀɴᴅʟᴇ, sʟᴀsʜ ᴄʟɪᴍʙ ɪɴᴛᴏ, sʟᴀsʜ ᴄʟɪᴍʙ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ, ᴍᴀsᴄᴏᴛ ᴄᴏsᴛᴜᴍᴇs. Rɪɢʜᴛ ɴᴏᴡ ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴡᴏ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴅᴇsɪɢɴᴇᴅ sᴜɪᴛs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏᴜʙʟᴇ ᴀs ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀᴛʀᴏɴɪᴄ ᴀɴᴅ sᴜɪᴛ. Sᴏ ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴘᴀʏ ᴄʟᴏsᴇ ᴀᴛᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ʟᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ sᴜɪᴛs, ᴀs ᴀᴄᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛs, sʟᴀsʜ ɪɴᴊᴜʀʏ, sʟᴀsʜ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ, sʟᴀsʜ ɪʀʀᴇᴘᴀʀᴀʙʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɢʀᴏᴛᴇsǫᴜᴇ ᴍᴀɪᴍɪɴɢ, ᴄᴀɴ ᴏᴄᴄᴜʀ.  
  
Fɪʀsᴛ, ᴡᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴅɪsᴄᴜss ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀsᴄᴏᴛs ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ɪɴ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀᴛʀᴏɴɪᴄ ғᴏʀᴍ. Fᴏʀ ᴇᴀsᴇ ᴏғ ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀᴛʀᴏɴɪᴄs, ᴀʀᴇ sᴇᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴜʀɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀʟᴋ ᴛᴏᴡᴀʀᴅs sᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴄᴜᴇs. Tʜɪs ɪs ᴀɴ ᴇᴀsʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀɴᴅs-ғʀᴇᴇ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴏᴀᴄʜ, ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ sᴜʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀᴛʀᴏɴɪᴄs sᴛᴀʏ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ ᴀʀᴇ, ғᴏʀ ᴍᴀxɪᴍᴜᴍ ᴇɴᴛᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴᴍᴇɴᴛ sʟᴀsʜ ᴄʀᴏᴡᴅ-ᴘʟᴇᴀsɪɴɢ ᴠᴀʟᴜᴇ. Tᴏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀᴛʀᴏɴɪᴄs ᴛᴏ sᴜɪᴛ ᴍᴏᴅᴇ, ɪɴsᴇʀᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴜʀɴ ғɪʀᴍʟʏ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀɴᴅ ᴄʀᴀɴᴋ ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɴᴜғᴀᴄᴛᴜʀᴇʀ.  
  
Tᴜʀɴɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀᴀɴᴋ ᴡɪʟʟ ʀᴇᴄᴏɪʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʀᴇss ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀᴛʀᴏɴɪᴄ ᴘᴀʀᴛs ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sɪᴅᴇs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ sᴜɪᴛ, ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅɪɴɢ ʀᴏᴏᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴄʟɪᴍʙ ɪɴsɪᴅᴇ. Pʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ sᴜʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sᴘʀɪɴɢʟᴏᴄᴋs ᴀʀᴇ ғᴀsᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛɪɢʜᴛ, ᴛᴏ ᴇɴsᴜʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀᴛʀᴏɴɪᴄ ᴅᴇᴠɪᴄᴇs ʀᴇᴍᴀɪɴ ғɪxᴇᴅ. Wᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜɪs ɪɴ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟ ɪɴ ᴛᴏᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡ's sᴇssɪᴏɴ.  
  
Rᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴛᴏ sᴍɪʟᴇ. Yᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀᴄᴇ ᴏғ Fʀᴇᴅᴅʏ Fᴀᴢʙᴇᴀʀ's Pɪᴢᴢᴀ."_**  
  
This was as creepy and suspicious as the obviously pre-recorded messages that played at the current pizzeria. The fact that someone could easily grab access to these tapes was concerning enough, meaning that someone could have the information to safely operate the suits. It was obvious to you, however, that the murders that had been previously described to you hadn't been caused by a fedora-clad neckbeard who wanted to have** "fun" **with some kids.

No, this was an employee. Looking at the date this was uploaded onto the forum confirmed it. It was only the beginning of this year when it had put up, and the Missing Children's incident occurred more than a decade earlier. No, this was someone who had access to these tapes or maybe even recorded the tapes. You'd definitely added this weird _Phone Guy_ to your list.

Also, Dave. You weren't quite convinced with his whole "new neighbor" shtick. No, it seemed he knew exactly what he was doing. When you looked into his eyes in that elevator, it was like something strange had boiled up in your gut. His eyes leering down at you as you continued to put on your whole _naive and oblivious young girl_ act. It was a calculating look, like a snake trapping a mouse in it's _spineless, scally_ body. Then impossibly smirking as it swallows the rodent whole. It was terrifying to look at. You couldn't imagine how you would've acted if you were any younger.  
  
You probably would've squirmed right out of that elevator, that's what you would've done. Thank goodness you hadn't though. You had no idea who you could trust at that establishment. But you definitely did not trust him. Serial killers are hard to spot. They're often charming and manipulative, but you've been in the business long enough to smell the cheap cologne and alluring attributes wafting off of anybody. The way they would systematically lure you into their trap and entangle you into their web.   
  
When he sat beside you earlier, it wasn't to be friendly. _"No, no."_ You thought, your face turning pale.** It was to claim his next victim.   
**   
This investigation has become more dangerous than you thought.


	6. F I V E

The office was cold and brittle. Your chest felt tight and constricted like it was in some kind of vice-grip. You flinched at the ringing of the phone sitting on the desk. Something didn't feel right. What Toy Bonnie had told you earlier came back to the forefront of your mind, but you shook it off, playing it off to him taunting you.

Your thoughts wandered back to the phone call you had with Alex while you were driving to the restaurant.   
  


_"Are you sure you don't need me to come with you tonight?"_

_"Alex, I'll be fine. I didn't train half-a-year in self-defense for nothing."_

_"I-I'm just worried."_

_"Don't worry. If I need help, I'll call you. Okay?"_

_"Fine. Just be careful. And watch out for that bunny-thing. He seems malicious."_

_"Oh, wouldn't I know it."_   
  


_I'll be fine_, you repeated to yourself. But you couldn't help but be nervous. Your training didn't exactly prepare you for sentient robots that want to stuff you in a moldy, blood-drenched animatronic suit. You honestly can't believe that's the gravity of the situation you're in, but you knew you'd have to come to terms with it.

After all, you knew that not trying to ground yourself could turn fatal for you. You gripped onto the sides of your polyester swivel chair harshly. Saying you weren't scared would be a complete lie. Your heart was pounding in your ribcage and you were afraid the animatronics could hear it.

You looked through some of the cameras, and you froze as your eyes gazed upon the posters. One had been suddenly switched to that of a Golden Bear, something that was obviously not there before. You looked up from the tablet, shivering as your eyes landed on a slumped over golden-bear animatronic in your office.

You breathed in and out, calming yourself down and sitting back in your seat. You finally calmed down and you were practically holding a staring contest with that... thing. 

Your fists clenched as the lights flickered, the animatronic turning it a man with honey-blonde hair, still slumped over on the floor. You growled as he made an effort to move, holding your flashlight out and blinding his eyes. Except, he didn't seem to flinch or fall back. He just stood there.

**"Iɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛɪɴɢ. Wʜʏ ᴅᴏᴇs ʜᴇ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇsᴛ?"**

"Different from the rest? I don't know about that, but I don't think you're supposed to be here, Goldie Locks," I sassed.

**"Hᴍᴍ. I sᴇᴇ."** He smirked and then apparated into midair. I sighed, relaxing back into my chair.

**"What's gotten you all worked up, dear?"** You jumped as a mysterious, malicious voice called from behind you. You slowly turned, letting out a squeak to find a man near inches away from your face. He readjusted his posture, standing back to full height. He was tall, probably a foot taller than you. He had dusty-brown hair, rosy-red cheeks, and pale skin. His tall frame was clad with a white dress shirt, as well as a dark-brown vest, dark dress pants, and black dress shoes. His hands were wrapped in fingerless gloves that we're currently going to reach for your face.

You flinched away, slapping his hand in the process as you glared at him. You jumped as you heard a familiar ring from your phone. It was Alex. You grabbed it, just as he returned his hand to your cheek. He chuckled, grabbing a fist of your hair and bringing you closer to him.

"Hmm... a feisty one. This'll be fun." He grabbed your arm and started to drag you down the hallway. You managed to get up to your feet, slightly tripping over yourself as you tried to pull your wrist from his iron grip.

"Let me go!" He only seemed to laugh at your struggle, managing to drag you all the way down the hallway. You gasped as you felt another hand grab onto your feet, flinging you up into the air. You mindless kicked as you heard a high-pitched, nasally laugh.

"Oh, come on! I thought you'd put up more of a fight. Guess your just a weak little girl." This was a blonde woman. She was fairly tall, with a voluptuous build. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she was clothed in a skimpy yellow crop-top and neon pink shorts.

You huffed, looking her up and down with your cheeks puffed out, "Well maybe I didn't expect a wannabe-stripper and an imitation of Yogi bear to be hassling me around!" She froze, her face darkening.

"Why, you little-!" She lunged for you, punching you in the jaw as you both fell to the floor. You managed to grab a fistful of her hair, kicking her in the crotch and punching her near her temple. She fell back, just as that Winnie-the-Pooh knock-off grabbed you by the waist, pulling you farther into the back of the building.

"We don't have time for this, Chica! We need to get her to the back room." Your eyes widened and you struggled more as you tried to wiggle out of his grip. You elbowed him in the ribs, and even though he winced, his grip on you strengthened as he dragged you backwards.

He slammed the door open to the back, throwing you in as he locked the door behind him. You sat up on the floor, relaxing your breathing as your mind tried to catch up to the events unfolding in front of you. _Weren't they gonna stuff me?_

A chuckle snapped you out of your thoughts as a shadow loomed above you. "You're quite the trouble-maker, aren't you, tootsie."

"Well, the threat of being stuffed into a suit might be enough to cause some level of stress. _Sorry _for being so high-maintenance," You sassed. The humanoid blue bunny laughed maliciously, grabbing your skull and slamming it into the wooden table. You groaned as you grabbed your forehead, feeling the familiar trickle of blood dripping down your arm.

"And I'd think after our previous encounter, you'd know your place." You glared at him, moving your arm to on top of the table, standing up and clenching your fists as you mentally prepared to punch him. But before you could, he grabbed you by the shoulders, a look of insanity in his eyes. You wanted to fight back, but you couldn't. **You froze.**

It felt as if your life was flashing before your eyes as he picked up your smaller form. Your back hit the plush surface of an animatronic suit, and you finally started to fight, but only by a little bit. Your fear was still getting the best of you as you weakly grabbed his wrists, kicking your feet desperately. It was action without a plan.

When you were little, your grandfather always warned you about acting without a plan. 

_Your pigtails swirled around you as you jumped onto your grandpa's lap. He smiled lightly down towards you, his wrinkled cheeks lighting up in a small grin of delight as his eyes loomed at his only grandchild._

_"Let me give you a piece of advice, sugar." Your wide (e/c) eyes looked up towards him as you smiled in return. "Okay, Poppa!"_

_His mind turned and racked for the familiar story that he wanted to tell you, a story that always seemed to overcoat his mind, except for the moments where he needs the specific details that haunted him the most._

_Suddenly, it came to him. He shivered but kept the facade of composure. You always admired his ability to be strong in desperate and horrifying situations. Like a rock, keeping the family together. Without your grandfather, your family apparently would've fallen apart long ago._

_You didn't know why, but you assumed it was just that normal family drama, stuff that sadly happened to everyone. Maybe something tragic happened to a family member long ago. Maybe someone was doing drugs or was locked up in prison. Whatever it was, it didn't really matter. It provided a good lesson for future generations of your family._

_"You know-how, in school, they say that 'Every action has an equal and opposite reaction'?" He asked. You nodded your head, becoming slightly bored because of the repetitive statement that you always heard at school. But he returned your attention by grabbing your shoulder._

_"My dear, never do something without a plan. That can prove to be... quite consequential." You tilted your head, confused. He looked off to the side, your gaze going towards the picture frame he was observing. It was a picture of a baby, holding a cute little brown bunny._

_You didn't know who this baby was. You asked your mother who it was, but she always brushed it off, saying you didn't know them. You looked towards your grandfather's face, his eyes becoming sad._

_He turned back to you as you grabbed his suspenders._

_"Umm... Poppa. Do you - wanna play...?" You looked around to find something to distract your grandpa from his sorrow. Your eyes gazed upon a deck of cards, and your smile brightened back up. You grabbed them, waving them in front of his eyes._

_"Wanna play War?"_

Those were good times. But you needed to stop thinking about them and focusing on the situation at hand. You were being stuffed into a suit, but then your mind flashed back to what you had previously learned.

_ **"Tᴏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀᴛʀᴏɴɪᴄs ᴛᴏ sᴜɪᴛ ᴍᴏᴅᴇ, ɪɴsᴇʀᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴜʀɴ ғɪʀᴍʟʏ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀɴᴅ ᴄʀᴀɴᴋ ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɴᴜғᴀᴄᴛᴜʀᴇʀ.** _

_**Tᴜʀɴɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀᴀɴᴋ ᴡɪʟʟ ʀᴇᴄᴏɪʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʀᴇss ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀᴛʀᴏɴɪᴄ ᴘᴀʀᴛs ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sɪᴅᴇs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ sᴜɪᴛ, ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅɪɴɢ ʀᴏᴏᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴄʟɪᴍʙ ɪɴsɪᴅᴇ. Pʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ sᴜʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sᴘʀɪɴɢʟᴏᴄᴋs ᴀʀᴇ ғᴀsᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛɪɢʜᴛ, ᴛᴏ ᴇɴsᴜʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀᴛʀᴏɴɪᴄ ᴅᴇᴠɪᴄᴇs ʀᴇᴍᴀɪɴ ғɪxᴇᴅ."**_  
You looked behind you, praying to whatever god was out there that this wouldn't be a normal suit. Your prayers were answered, as you saw the familiar springlocks like the ones you saw on the online forum. Even better was the fact that they were coiled back. You let out a slight sigh of relief, letting your upper body lax slightly to make the shift into the suit easier. You knew you wouldn't be able to get out of this, so you wanted to prevent death as much as possible.

You had a plan now.

You shivered as you felt the cold brushing of metal against your skin. You kept kicking your feet, the struggle only for show. It was just to distract him. You shifted your arms inside the animatronic suit. You almost squeak as a scratch ran all the way down your arm. Your legs were shoved in and you grabbed your arm as the suit was zipped up.

You took the end of your uniform, ripping the fabric and wrapping it around your now bleeding arm. From your knowledge, moistening the springlocks with your blood would not be a good idea. 

_ **"Dᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴘʀɪɴɢʟᴏᴄᴋs, ᴀs ᴍᴏɪsᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴍᴀʏ ʟᴏᴏsᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋ ʟᴏᴏsᴇ."** _

You wrapped it around tight, shortening your breathing as to not give away that you were still alive. You waited until Toy Bonnie left before making any sudden movements.

You had no idea how long you were gonna be here. **You hoped someone would come soon.**


	7. S I X

You moved around slowly, looking for anything that could help you escape. You felt a solid object against your leg and you looked down, thinking it was a mechanism (which you desperately hoped wasn't the case). But no, it seemed like the Lord had answered your prayers. It was your phone. You wanted to cry out in relief but kept your mouth shut, as to not attract any animatronics that could be wandering around or moisten the springlocks even more than your slight movements had already.

You unlock your phone, your eyes first shifting to the time. 

6:32 AM. Thirty-minutes till opening. Your eyes then went to your wallpaper. It was a picture of Alex and you on your birthday. You lightly smiled as a tear-drop landed on the screen. You wiped your cheek and the phone, sniffling a bit as you unlocked the it. You opened your messages, going to the contact "Brother 🤡".

_"Al, I need your help."_

  
You sniffled a little bit, hoping that he was up and that you wouldn't have to be there any longer. You were becoming claustrophobic, and you were kind of glad you were so tiny because it probably would've been worse. Your feet barely touch the ground and your head didn't even reach the neck of the animatronic. You were relieved at this notion. It would've been harder to even reach your phone or see what you were texting if you were any taller. You hugged yourself for warmth, trying to prevent yourself from shivering the springlocks loose.

Maybe this was the animatronics' intentions. To leave you in this suit until you accidentally trigger the springlocks and/or starve. Honestly, you didn't know what sounded worse. If that really was their intention, they really were the monsters that the children whispered about.

Suddenly, a ding came from your phone. You hoped it wasn't some Clash of Clans notification. It would be ironic, seeing as you were planning on deleting the app after not using it for half-a-year, before you got too busy to even delete it. They're gonna find your dead corpse with Clash of Clans open on your phone. What a way to go! But that was not the case. 

**Alex responded.**   
  


_"What's wrong?!"_

_"They stuffed me in a suit."  
"In the back room."_

_"Wait! WTF do you mean?!"  
"Are you there right now?!"_

_"Yes. Alex, please hurry."  
"I'm scared."_

"Thank you, whatever god, goddess, or divine moose is out there!" Your fingers were twitching in anticipation. It felt like an eternity had gone by. You would constantly hear the footsteps of different employees, all completely unaware of your position. Your eyes would light up as they walked by, hoping to see the chocolate-brown hair and gentle eyes that Alex so easily held.

But then they would just continue walking, and your heart would drop in your stomach.

**Another ring.**   
  


_"I'm here."_

_"Is the restaurant open? I can't hear anything."_

_"Yeah. They just opened."_

_"K. Don't let Toy Bonnie or the others see you."_

_"Why?"_

_"He knows you're my friend, so they'll put you back here too!"_

_"Oh, right! Smart."  
"This is why you're the detective."_

You lightly giggled, feeling a slight bit of relief. It was like pressure being taken off of your lungs, but you couldn't relax yet. Your mind raced with scenarios of the animatronics being able to get him, no matter how impossible that would be, with it being daytime and all.

**Ring.**   
  


_"Ok. Where are you?"_

_"Back Room. It's the door at the end of the main hall."_

_"OK. I'm almost there. There are a surprising amount of kids."  
"I'm outside the door."_

The door squeaked open. The person closed the door with a light click, before walking towards the suit you were in. You held your breath, hoping it was Alex and not your manager.  
  
"(Y/N)? Are you in here?" A gentle, but uneasy whisper called out from the darkness outside of the suit. You let out a sigh of relief, seeming to startle him as you heard his footing jump back a few paces.

"Alex? Please, get me out." Your voice was hushed, but with a sense of urgency he never knew you had. It was hoarse from the bitter screaming you had yelled at those damn animatronics the night before. The suit zipped open and a hand shot in. You took it, slowly crawling out of the metal death contraption and into the arms of your best friend. Finally, for the first time in a case ever, you let a single tear loose over your **own** circumstances.

You never cried for the danger you were put in during cases because you always felt as if you were giving some sort of justice for the victim party. You were always so focused on doing the right thing. But you had so much time to think about what was going on. Usually, you would've been rescued in under five minutes. But no one even knew you were in there.

Oh God. **What if you didn't have your phone on you.**

Experiencing what those nightguards would've right before they died gave you a wave of sympathy, nausea, and guilt. Sympathy for the guards that died, unwarranted and without the insurance of justice. Nausea, because of the disgusting actions of the animatronics in this pizzeria and the blatant cover-up of it. They knew what they were doing. It wasn't some malfunction or them seeing you as an endoskeleton. They had proved that when the had taunted and ridiculed you. 

But lastly, there was guilt. Guilt that you, a girl who didn't need this job, who wasn't desperate to scramble for money from paycheck to paycheck, survived. You knew it wasn't your fault, not in the slightest. But you felt bad because your death would've gotten the place shut down. 

There's was only like a draft in the wind. It had **no effect.**

You were put in the same scenario, but there was a chance you were the only one who survived. And how?! Because of some dumb luck that the animatronics - just so happened - to use the wrong kind of suit for their murder spree. **What. Luck.**

You felt dizzy, your eyes going hazy as you leaned on Alex, trying to get a grip. You chuckled melancholy, tears springing from the corners of your eyes as you muttered, "Get it together, (L/N). You're a professional. But it was obvious that this had shaken you, from the way you grabbed onto Alex's sleeve to your labored breaths as you tried to control yourself.

You looked up at him, giving him a weak, unconvincing smile. "Let's get out of here."

You both walked out through the back door, leaving the animatronics for another time.

**\---**

Alex had sat me in the booth across from him. We had quickly gotten out of the pizzeria and went to get some coffee from Sweet Delectable Diner. I wasn't talking much, too consumed by my own thoughts. I thought Alex was gonna go off on a rant like he usually tended to do. But instead, he just looked down at me in pity.

I hated that. **Stop it.** I don't need his pity. It just reminds me of every other time I've been given that stare of pity, but I'm _strong_. I don't _need _his sympathy. I'm a professional. I need to get over it. I straightened my posture, looking up at him and clearing my throat. "Alex? You okay?" He gave me this sad, worried look.

"Y-Yeah. You just..." He chuckled sorrowfully.

"You scared the shit out of me, (N/N)." He averted his eyes from my gaze. I reached my hand out to grab his. He turned back to look at me, startled.

"Alex, I'm fine-" "**Fine**!? You could've died!" I've never seen him so angry. I flinched, but readjusted myself, staring back at him. I was starting to become a little irritated.

"I'm **fine**. That's all there is to it." He looked like he wanted to say something, but he just kept it to himself, turning away from me. I sighed, leaning back into the booth and closed my eyes as I focused on the sounds and smells around me.

The crisp smell of bacon that I would gladly indulge in. The chatting of the diners' patrons talking over their daily Sunday gossip. It was nice, a reminder of my home back in Riebbury.

Goodness me, I missed that small town so much. My parents are there, probably sitting at home. My father is probably in front of the television, watching the news, and my mother is probably out in the garden, tending to her poppy flowers.

I was shaken out of my thoughts by a gentle hand on my shoulder. I looked up to meet a pair of kind ocean-blue eyes. It was Gladys, a sweet older lady who was a waitress here. She always seemed to pop up to have some small talk and dote on the both of us. She didn't have any children for herself, so she treated everyone like her child. She was too kind.

"Good morning, (Y/n)! What can I get for ya' on this fine morning?" She gives me a gentle smile. I return it briefly, gazing over the menu on the table below me before deciding what to eat.

"I'll have a black coffee with a sausage-biscuit, smothered hashbrowns, and some bacon." She smiled, taking the menu from my hands before turning to Alex and taking his order.

"And what do you want, Alex?" His angered and worried expression from previous moments turned into a gentler, more kind face as he ordered his food. She took his menu from him, turning to walk away, but then paused, turning to look back at me.

"You want vanilla creme with that, right, sugar?" Of course, she would remember that. I didn't normally order coffee plain unless I was really out of it. I'm glad she remembered because I certainly wouldn't of. I nodded my head politely. She finally turned, walking behind the bar and yelling out our order to the unsuspecting young cook who was listening to music on his iPod.

I giggled, turning back to look at Alex, who was staring right back at me. I sighed, "Alex, I'll be fine. I only have to go back tonight, and then I'll be gone!" I did jazz hands, trying to lift the mood. He sighed, looking down at his hands. I grabbed one, pulling it towards my heart. "Trust me, Alex. It'll be okay."

"I know, I know. It just... spooked me - seeing you like that." I looked up at him, shocked.  
"You looked so scared. I never thought I'd see you like that." I giggled melancholy.

"Trust me, you'll never have to see that again. That'll probably be the last time I have to deal with animatronics coming for my guts." We both softly laughed, uncomfortably. Suddenly, the bell rung signaling another customer and I turned over to take a glance. My body froze as I saw the same golden-blonde hair.

God damn it.


	8. S E V E N

You felt as if your heart dropped to the floor the moment he entered the building. You had to admit; he looked less scary; some could say even suave, outside of the pizzeria's fluorescent light, his bright-blonde hair swaying softly in the cool breeze wafting in through the cracks of the door. His form-fitting dress-shirt and vest showing through the neckline of his fawn-colored suit-jacket.

He was slightly handsome; you had to admit. You wanted to gag just thinking about it. You watched his movements; one of his hands balled into a fist fell next to his side as he made slight conversational gestures with his other.

He was talking politely to Gladys; you could hear his familiar - slightly British-sounding - voice having a pleasant conversation with the older woman. They talked about how he was, how life was going, other small talk topics. If you hadn't met him before, you would've assumed he was just an average person - not some sociopathic-animatronic killer.

You looked at the older woman, her prematurely-graying hair - which was braided and pulled up in a bun, flopped around as she continued working through her conversation. You sighed, leaning onto your fist as you watched the oblivious woman conversate. You smiled painfully, remembering that this woman, if necessary, had a silver-tongue she was not afraid to let loose.

You still worried about her, as she sometimes couldn't tell a malicious advance from a friendly customer. You were concerned for a lot of people in this town - all delightfully oblivious to everyone in the surrounding cities, wanting a bite for the distinctive culture held here, or to the apparent supernatural that occurred here. While you never truly believed in ghosts, spirits, or anything of the sort - it was undeniable now that they did exist, and they were dangerous.

You smiled to yourself, looking out the window to the cotton-candy skies. You thought of all the beautiful people you had met during your time here, all the sweet little children, the senile older couples, the urban-seeking teenagers, and the delightful - **oh God.** Your thoughts shattered like a bullet through glass as you saw electrifying-blue eyes looking at you from the reflection of the window. 

_"Oh, God. He knows who I am."_

Your head slowly turned around, your teeth grinding against each other as your face paled. He had turned from his conversation with Gladys - his eyes locked on you.

And then, he smiled. No, no. That's not it. He smirked, bringing his hand up and gave you an all-knowing wave. Your spine trembled, and your hand shakily went up to return the gesture. Gladys finally noticed he wasn't listening and looked over to you. She waved rapidly - her arm looked like she was about to chop the man beside her in half.

But you wouldn't mind that, would you?

"Hey, honey! Your food will be out in just a second. Jeffrey!" She turned around, yelling at the already-startled cook. The spatula flipped out of his hand, creating a loud crash on the ground. You flinched, almost reaching to cover your ears.

Alex gripped your hand, turning his head to look at the commotion he had been previously oblivious to. His eyes narrowed as he locked eyes with the blonde. But he didn't seem to know why the man was looking at you, so he instead turned back to you, giving you the sympathetic look you oh-so hated.

_'We can leave if you want.' _As much as your heart was racing and the fact that your legs were ready to take off on a 5k run, you knew backing down from this silent battle would only give him further satisfaction. 

You looked down at the table, your fingers tracing across the fake-marble surface as your eyes slowly looked up to meet Alex's. 

You mouthed back,_ 'We can't.' _He looked at you sympathetically. Your gaze shifted back towards the spot where the blonde once stood, only to find him missing. Your eyes moved in a frenzy, trying to spot him, only to find him a few tables away - already enjoying a straight-black coffee.

He took a sip, eyes closed. You flinched as his eyes shot open, half-liddedly glancing up at you. You gripped Alex's hand even tighter. Your thoughts were trying to focus on the table in front of you, but you felt as if you were starting to spiral.

_The coldness of the leather seats... the buzz of the lights in the ceiling... the sizzle of cooking food._

You jumped as Gladys spattered both of your plates down with a cheerful smile on her face. 

"Here you go, baby! Some nice pippin' hot breakfast fresh off the stove." Her never-fading smile put you at ease, like something you would see in your grandmother. She had the smile of an angel. Oh, you hadn't thought of her in a long time. Maybe you would go to visit her and your grandfather. Take a little break from the fast-paced Hurricane lifestyle and stay back in Ribbury for a few days.

It would be nice to see some more familiar faces. After all, you knew practically everyone there. Your old friends would be ecstatic to see you; you don't call or email often. Your heart pounded at the thought of seeing your childhood dog, Rudy, again. You couldn't bring him with you, after all, he was too senile for you to take. 

But maybe you could see him again if you went back for the summer. But for now, you needed to focus on solving this case. Then you would have all the time in the world to revisit the past.

You attempted to focus on the hot food that was placed in front of you. It looked delicious. You took one bite, then another, and another after that until you were stuffed. Gladys willingly came by to sweep away Alex's (who had finished 10-minutes earlier) and your plates. Then your thoughts returned to the golden-blonde sitting near you.

_'He wouldn't be able to do anything in a public diner.' _You thought with a slight smirk. You took a sip of your coffee, giving the man a testing glance as your nose wrinkled in disgust. You looked back down, not seeing the look that he gave you when your eyes strayed away. A light, almost-unheard chuckle left his lips as he took another sip of his coffee.

You smiled at Alex, trying to cover up the nerves running through you as you both got up. He laid down a 15-dollar bill for Gladys, and you both waved to the woman before making your way out. You both walked out to the car, getting in a turning it on to feel the gentle heat of the fan.

You both gently grinned, buckling your seatbelts, and getting ready to take off, but the car wouldn't move. You turned to Alex, confused. He just returned the gesture, taking the key out of the ignition and stepping out of the car.

"I've got no idea in Hell what could be wrong with this thing." He stated, rubbing the hair at the scruff of his neck. He turned to you, goofily snapping his finger and pointing towards you.

"Hey, you stay here, and I'll go get the repairman. He works right up the street." Before you could say a word, Alex took off running. You breathed out a heavy sigh, unlocking the car and getting back in, turning the heat on.

You laid back the seat, finding comfort in the heat blowing into cold-face. You felt as if you could even fall asleep, the car reminding of a warm fireplace in the winter.

**"Quite the predicament you've gotten yourself into."**


	9. E I G H T

I stared at the blonde in front of, clenching my dirty, stained uniform in my palm as I tried to catch my breath. He seemed to chuckle, turning down the hot-air that had been previously blasting in my face, “Is it hot in here, or is it just me?”

I shuffled further away but adjusted my posture out of the crooked one that he had found me in. I let my fingers slowly slip up the fabric of the seatbelt, my other hovering over the button as I prepared to run out of the car. I waited for a second, watching as his eyes gazed over the car’s slightly worn material, his eyes shifting further away from my position. Now!

I pushed the button, throwing the seatbelt off of me as fast as I can and-! I groaned as I rubbed my nose; it had smashed against the window. My shoulder hurt as well as my eyes welled with tears. I wiped them away quickly, before turning back to look at the man, whose smirk had only seemed to grow wider.

“You do realize I’m not an idiot, right?” My nose scrunched up in confusion as I stared up at him. He chuckled, rustling a small tuft of hair through his fingers as he stared boredly down at it. “You couldn’t have made it more obvious that you were trying to leave, my dear. Although, I shouldn’t be so surprised, seeing as you got stuffed on the second night. Most guards make it to at least the third.”

I scowled but held in the nasty spitfire I wanted to rain on him. I wasn’t in the best situation right now, him being a murderous-animatronic and all. I had to be careful with what actions I took from now on. “Sorry, you just… surprised me.”

“Hmm - yes. You seemed quite - what was it? Surprised.” He said cockily. I knew he had caught onto me; he had to. After all, he seemed to be smarter than he looked. For now, I just needed to play along. Until the time is just right. I leaned back slightly, resting as I looked at him, trying to get my thoughts together.

“But I must say, despite the undignified actions you made previously, you do seem to be quite smart. More than you let on.” I frowned slightly at this, but let it slip back into a neutral-relaxed expression. I sighed, shifting my gaze back to the window. 

“Do you need something, or do you want me to answer your undignified query?” I almost jumped, startled to find hands grasping on the sides of my arms, pulling me closer until I was nose to nose with him. I grimace, finally getting a close-up view of his features. He was a _little _handsome, but not quite enough for me to swoon. He grinned slightly, letting me see the baring of sharp canines in the back of his mouth.

“Does it feel as if you have much of a choice in that matter?” He laughed. I brushed his arms off of me, grabbing at the seat instead as I sat up straighter. “-and what gives you the right to come into my car and grab at me? _Hmm_?” 

He seemed to freeze up a bit at that question, and I took this chance to pin him down slightly in his seat, using my legs to pin down his as I leaned over him. My few years of theatre in high school have finally come to good use. I leaned into his ear, “ -and what makes you think I’m not into that?” 

I could practically feel his face flush as he gulped down some saliva. I leaned up, purposely pursing my lips and pushing up my CHEST with my arms, my eyes half-lidded. I leaned in, and he closed his eyes as if getting ready for a kiss. I leaned in, brushing off part of his jacket where an inside pocket was.

The keys.

I leaned in, giving him a big kiss on the cheek. His eyes widened, and I smirked, holding the jiggling keys out in from of him, tauntingly. As if he didn’t believe it, his hand went to pat the pocket it had previously been in. _“Wha - what?”_

“Sorry, _hun. _But I have things to do and places to be, and as much as I would love to have this talk, Alex should be back any minute. Wouldn’t like for you to get arrested on a lovely day like this, would we?” He gritted his teeth, his face (while still very red), flashed with anger. He pushed me over, trying to grab the keys, but it was too late. I had already pressed the clicker and was halfway out the door.

I turned expecting to see him about to give chase, but instead, he was just - gone? I looked around for him, wanting to make sure he indeed wasn’t there. But he had just disappeared. Right timing, too - as the moment I got out of the car, I saw Alex and the repairman walking towards me from down the street.

I chuckled, handing the keys over to Alex. He looked at me, slightly confused. “Why is your hair all tousled.” I turned back to the car’s side-mirror to see that, yes, my hair looked ridiculous. I sighed, combing my fingers through my hair. To repairman soon fixed the tire, which had seemingly been punctured, even though Alex and I hadn’t noticed in the slightest.

_Weird. My senses usually notice the slightest bump. Probably that “Golden Freddy”’s fault. _We both sat down in the car, finally taking off down the road. I needed a nap or seven.

* * *

He adjusted his hair and tie in the alleyway as the car quickly drove off. He turned his gaze, watching as it sped off down the street. He let out a sigh of relief, brushing his hand against his reddened skin. 

**“ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀ ᴡᴏᴍᴀɴ.”**


	10. N I N E

I groaned as I heard the doorbell ring, my head pounding as I shoveled my head deeper into the pillow. A harsh pounding startled me out of my grogginess, making a flinch and roll out of bed. I moan, rubbing my back and hearing a sharp pop as I stretched up from the floor. I trudged through my apartment, not even attempting to brush back my disheveled hair. It was probably just Alex coming to check up on me anyway.  
  
I don't even bother to look through the peephole as I just open the door, letting the crisp autumn air breeze in and flow through my lose, comfortable clothes - sweatpants and an extra-large sweatshirt. I looked up at the - holy shit. Sherrif Barnes!   
  
I audibly gasp as the older man just chuckles, brushing back his graying-brown hair as he looks down towards me. "Not expecting company, Ms. (Y/N)?" My cheeks plume in embarrassment as I move to adjust my clothes.  
  
"I apologize, Sherrif. I didn't expect company. I just got up." His brow shifted, looking behind me. I turned around, seeing the cat clock hanging up on the wall. "**1 PM**," I turned back to the Sherrif, rubbing the scruff of my neck as my embarrassment grew. He merely chuckled.   
  
"Taking some time off, Ms. (Y/N)? That's fine. You've gotta stressful job on your hands." His cheerful demeanor and expression shifted into something sorrowful, yet familiar. "Speaking of which, may I come in?"  
  
I give him a melancholy smile, "Of course. Go ahead and take a seat, and I'll make us some tea. Earl grey, like always?" His face brightens as he takes a step in, hanging up his coat on the small rack I have beside the door. "You know that's my favorite, Ms. (Y/N)?   
  
I chuckle, "Of course I do! What else would I have learned from the years of being your assistant?" He rolled his eyes, sitting down on my sofa and adjusting himself, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe the credentials for your future?" We both laugh softly.  
  
"Touche, touche." I went into the kitchen, grabbing the kettle and filling it with tap water from the sink, enough for a bit more than two cups of tea. I grabbed out two teacups - both of which were given to me by my grandmother. Then I grab out the teabags - chamomile and earl grey. I wait for the signature steam of the boiling kettle. I put the teabags in their proper cups, putting on my oven mitts and pouring the boiling water into the cups.   
  
The steam blew into my face, and I sighed comfortably. I grabbed the cups' handles, walking back to my living space, and handing Barnes his cup. I sat down adjacent to him, blowing cold air at the scalding hot liquid. I looked up from taking a sip and became confused as I looked at Barnes. He was just sitting there, staring at the cup.  
  
"Sherrif? Are you okay?" He flinched slightly, but chuckled, looking up towards me with a sorrowful look in his eyes. "I'm fine, dear. Just thoughtful," he mumbled. I adjusted my slumped posture, brushing the fly-away hair out of my face.   
  
"So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked curiously. He averted his eyes, clearing his throat. "I want you to drop the case."  
  
My eyes widened in shock. Did I hear correctly? "Sherrif, could you repeat that? I don't think I heard you correctly." "Drop the case (L/N)." I averted my eyes, my gaze going down to my feet. He got up, setting his cup on the coffee table, and putting a hand on my shoulder.   
  
"I know, it's a hard thing to do-" "No." There was a silence between us.   
  
"What?" I glared up at him, my mentor. The man I had looked up to since I was a child.   
  
"I said no." His eyes widened, and he grabbed my shoulder, bring my gaze up to meet his.   
  
"(Y/N), please listen." I stayed silent. "That case - that place . . . it is hazardous. Not even I would take that job. There's no evidence to whom the kidnapper is, and you could get hurt. Please." I scrunched up my nose in disgust, remembering the mishaps of hours before. It hadn't even been a day since I was in that back room, crying as I prayed and held my last hope - my cell phone, close to my heart.  
  
I stood up, pushing his hands off of my shoulders. "You need to leave." His expression shifted into one of pure shock. "What?"  
  
"Sherrif, I will not ask you again. Leave." He groaned exhaustedly, "Why won't you listen-?!" "Because those nightguards deserve justice!" He looked at me with a protective ferocity, "At the expense of your own life?!" I spat spitefully, _"If that's how it has to be, then so be it." _  
  
His eyes glazed over, tears about to spring out "(Y/N) . . . please." Salty tears streamed down my cheeks, and I couldn't help but let out a soft hiccup. I pointed at the door, gesturing for him to take his departure. He slowly moved to grab his coat, ruffling his greying hair as he shuffled out the door, taking one glance back as I closed the door harshly on his face.   
I slid down beside the door, crying into my knees. I squeezed myself into a tight ball, gasping for the air.   
  
**"I can't."**


	11. Q & A!

Hello, my lovely readers! _It's been quite a while since the last time you saw me._

I deeply apologize for the gaps in writing. I've found myself to have a stubborn bit of writer's block that has overcome me for the past few months, and while I have the main plot already outlined, I'm currently focusing on tweaking the previous chapters slightly.

But in the meantime (if you couldn't tell by the title of this chapter - ) I will be hosting a** Q & A**!

Ask any questions you would like! I'll try to answer as many of them as I can, but I will not be spoiling anything that is important in future chapters!

_ **Where would be the fun in that?** _

So ask away to your little hearts intent! Got a burning question that you want to answer about one of your favorite characters? Have any questions for me about my writing process? 

**Ask away!**

Until then, toodle-loo~!


	12. Q & A - Answers

Before we begin this chapter - quick little disclaimers!

  
**ONE**: I will be attempting to post the revamped previous chapters before updating any new chapters. Now that I have a more in-depth plot outline made for myself, I would like to update the previous chapters with little tidbits of information - as well improving the writing and making it more enjoyable to read.  
  
**TWO**: Some people asked two questions (completely fine with me)! These will possibly be split up. If you want your username removed from the question, go ahead and message me on any of my writing accounts. It won't be a hassle.  
  


**NOW! On to the questions. **

**\---**

  
_"What's your top five favorite animatronics?"_ \- @Googles15 on Wattpad

_"Who's your favorite Fnaf Character? (Doesn't have to be an animatronic btw!)"_ \- Aubinova on Archive of Our Own  
  


1\. Funtime Freddy  
  
2\. The Marionette/The Puppet  
  
3\. Glitchtrap  
  
4\. Golden Freddy  
  
5\. Bonnie the Bunny

For any human characters - I would have to say I like how the fandom has characterized Mike and Jeremy. There are a lot of theories about different things [Game Theories! (; ], but I just like how they have been generally characterized.  
  


_"As we get further into the story, would their be more reaction to the other animatronics? Like would (Y/N) meet old Bonnie, Foxy, Chica, and Freddy?" _ \- @Googles15 on Wattpad  
  
Absolutely! All of the FNaF 1 & 2 animatronics will be featured sometime or another in this book. I'm not confirming any future games just yet, but FNaF 1 & 2 are officially confirmed.   
  


_"How long do you think the story is going to be?"_ \- @Googles15 on Wattpad  
  
It actually took me a while to think over this question, because I have the entire plot written out, but not detailed chapter outlines. I'm currently guessing that this book will have a least thirty chapters.   
  
Yes. I said "this book". There is a fairly high possibility this book will have a sequel. . . or two.  
  
All in all, I'm guessing possibly up to 90 chapters ( - this number will fluctuate depending on how the story flows).

_"What was the reaction of the others when they heard Toy Bonnie was punched by (Y/N)?" _\- @FeeEnHeks on Wattpad  
  
To avoid spoilers into further and revamped chapters, I'm gonna be decently vague with this answer. They became interested in her. It wasn't the fact that she punched them that got them interested in her, it was more-or-so Toy Bonnie's reaction to it.  
  
I'm not making this the clique "there's never been a girl working here" fanfiction. Not hating on any other fanfictions that do that - but I personally find that extremely unrealistic, especially if the story is taking place late 20th and early 21st century.   
  
So it is not the first time they have had a nightguard, even a female nightguard fight back. But they want to know why he reacted so differently this time.  
  
  
_"What made you want to write this story? It's so detailed and very good, I love how you potrayed every character."_   
\- Hollybee0987 on Quotev  
  
_"How did you come up with the idea for this story?"_ \- Aubinova on Archive of Our Own  
  
_"- and what did the animatronics think when they saw her walking out?"_ \- Luckythedragonet on Archive of Our Own  
  
First of all, thank you so much! It always brightens my day to hear that someone likes any of my books.  
  
Secondly, it's a bit hard for me to pinpoint my inspiration for this story. While I'm quite familiar with the other FNaF x Readers on here, it's slightly difficult to determine where my idea for this book came from.  
  
What I can say is that I've always loved mystery books. I love the fact that you can join in the fun of solving the case before the main character does. I wanted to be a detective when I was little, and I grew up to be quite observant of people and their quirks - to my benefit and misfortune.  
  
  
_"Why did the reader need pills?"_ \- Luckythedragonet on Archive of Our Own  
  
That's actually an interesting factor that nobody picked up on - not surprisingly because that was kind of purposeful. The basic answer is that she has something called "chronic sinusitis". The reason she has the condition is for a multitude of reasons - all of which I can't answer as of now. 

**AND with that last question - we are finished. Thank you all for your questions. I will try to update the story sometime this week, but that might be a bit difficult because my birthday is Thursday.**

**\- Love you guys!**


	13. Current FIC Status

Hello - to the adoring readers who have been keeping up with the book! I'd like to give you a bit of insight into the rewritten chapters.

First, I'd like to make clear that I'm not only working on rewriting chapters, but I'm also writing some new ones in between.

This will be focused on more world-building and character relationships.

Currently, there are ten main storyline chapters, but there will be eleven main storyline chapters after I'm finished.

Now that might not sound like a lot, but some of the chapters are being changed and deleted. The storyline is a little bit different, but it won't be hard to keep up.

Individual Chapter Status

Chapter 1 - FINISHED

Chapter 2 - FINISHED

Chapter 3 - FINISHED

Chapter 4 - FINISHED

Chapter 5 - FINISHED

Chapter 6 - FINISHED

Chapter 7 - DIALOGUE

Chapter 8 - FINISHED

Chapter 9 - NOT STARTED

Chapter 10 - NOT STARTED

Chapter 11 - NOT STARTED

For those who wanted a peek inside how I work - here it is!

"DIALOGUE" means that I have scripted out all the dialogue, which is something I do so I can have the mood and flow of the chapter written down.

To represent how much more is being added, let me give you the numbers.

The original ten chapters have 16k words.

The finished seven have over **20k**.

These new chapters are a lot more detailed and are more cohesive then the original storyline.

I'll update this chapter as I finished more, so keep checking back. Love you!


	14. BETA READERS NEEDED!

Hello, dear readers! It's me, your beloved author.   
  
I have a very wonderful update for all of you.   
  
At the current moment, all eleven redone chapters have been **completed**. They will soon be edited and finalized before being available to all of you on _Wattpad_, _Quotev_, and _AO3_. Although, I have a slight dilemma.  
  
I can't complete this book on my own, school and work has been extremely hectic lately and I won't be able to finish writing on my own in a timely fashion - meaning I'm going to need some help.  
  
I would find it absolutely wonderful if I could have some volunteers for _beta readers_. For now, I'm probably only going to accept a handful, like around _three_. They will be accepted first come first serve.   
  
What do you need to become a beta reader?

  * A google account - because you all will have access to the final rough draft of the story through **Google Docs.**
  * A basic understanding of grammar and spelling.
  * The ability to spot out inconsistencies and contradictory statements.

Now, you will not be doing this without any reward. Not only will you have access to the rough drafts of my writing, meaning that you get to see my thought process, but you will also be credited in every chapter that you **actively **edited.   
  
You will also be able to be in personal contact with me, the author, through email and possibly other mediums of contact (_not phone number though, because I don't like giving out that specific information)_.   
  
Please do not be afraid to reach out to me through messaging or the comment section.  
  
If you aren't one of the first to contact me, that is okay. You will be put on a small list of people that I will get into contact with if someone can't continue being a beta reader anymore or if I need more readers.  
  
_Love you guys!_

**Author's Note:**

> "Oh, little detective. Your time is running out."
> 
> "Can you find out the secret of this restaurant? The secret to your past?"
> 
> "You can't."
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Love you guys!~


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